Chapter 17 - The Man with the Other KeySimon chose a quiet conference room at the office of his attorney.
He arrived wearing the same charcoal suit he had worn at the board meeting.
But he looked different.
His face was pale.
His hands trembled slightly when he placed his briefcase on the table.
Marcus sat opposite him.
Claire sat beside Marcus.
Simon's attorney, Michael Trent, occupied the chair nearest the door.
Nobody exchanged pleasantries.
Marcus spoke first.
"Did you frame Naomi?"
Simon looked down.
His lawyer shifted.
"Simon, remember what we discussed."
Simon took a breath.
"The company was in trouble."
Marcus stared.
"That's not an answer."
"I know."
"Then answer the question."
Simon looked up.
"Naomi discovered transactions that management had concealed from the board."
Marcus felt anger rising.
"What transactions?"
"Reserve funds being used to cover obligations in other parts of the business. Related-party consulting payments. Advances to entities connected with the proposed sale."
"Who authorized them?"
Simon hesitated.
"Evelyn directed much of the restructuring."
"And you?"
"I implemented it."
The admission hung in the room.
Marcus leaned forward.
"Did Naomi steal $186,400?"
Simon closed his eyes.
"No evidence I saw established that she personally took that money."
Marcus felt something inside him break.
He had expected the answer.
He had feared it.
Hearing Simon say it aloud was still unbearable.
"Then why did you tell me she did?"
Simon looked toward his attorney.
Michael spoke carefully.
"My client is prepared to provide information, but we are not negotiating legal consequences in this room. Certain statements may require a formal process with the relevant authorities."
Marcus barely heard him.
He was staring at Simon.
"You let me fire her."
Simon swallowed.
"Yes."
"You let me destroy her reputation."
"I should have corrected the record."
"Why didn't you?"
Simon lowered his head.
"Because the truth would have exposed the financing decisions."
Claire spoke.
"Was the original report materially altered?"
Simon nodded.
"Yes."
"Did you authorize those alterations?"
He looked at his attorney.
After a moment, Simon answered.
"I approved a revised report that omitted the recommendation for external review."
Marcus stared.
"And Naomi was never told?"
"No."
The room fell silent.
Outside, traffic moved through downtown Richmond.
Ordinary life continued while Marcus's world rearranged itself.
"Why?" he asked.
Simon looked genuinely miserable.
"The company had entered into loans it couldn't easily repay. Several projects were losing money. The lenders were tightening covenants. Evelyn believed Cedar Row could solve the problem."
"By selling it?"
"Eventually."
"Then why move money out of the reserve?"
"To keep other obligations current until refinancing could be arranged."
Marcus shook his head.
"That doesn't explain Hawthorne."
Simon glanced at Claire.
"Hawthorne billed for advisory services that were poorly documented. Some invoices did not reflect work performed as described."
"Who benefited?"
Simon hesitated.
Marcus leaned forward.
"Who?"
Simon answered quietly.
"Several parties, including entities connected with my administrative consulting company."
Marcus felt sick.
"Your company."
Simon nodded.
"And Evelyn?"
Simon looked down again.
"An entity controlled by a family trust associated with her received certain fees. Those payments require review."
Claire made a note.
Marcus stared at Simon.
"You were paid while Naomi was blamed."
Simon said nothing.
"Was the sale supposed to cover everything?"
"Not everything. But it would reduce immediate debt and create liquidity. The remaining accounting issues might have been buried inside a larger restructuring."
Marcus leaned back.
For years, he had trusted Simon because his father trusted him.
But trust had become a substitute for oversight.
Marcus himself had approved budgets he didn't fully understand.
He had delegated responsibility without demanding accountability.
He had allowed the business to become a place where nobody wanted to bring him bad news.
Simon cleared his throat.
"There's something else."
Marcus looked up.
"Go on."
"The purchase price."
"What about it?"
"Briar Crest offered $14.6 million."
"I know."
"Halden's projected assembled-property valuation was significantly higher."
"Twenty-eight million."
Simon nodded.
"That valuation assumed redevelopment approvals and additional acquisitions, but yes."
Marcus frowned.
"Why didn't we solicit other bids?"
"Evelyn insisted this was the only buyer able to close quickly."
"Was that true?"
Simon hesitated.
"Not entirely."
Marcus stared.
"Did the company receive another offer?"
Simon looked toward his attorney.
Michael nodded.
"Answer accurately."
Simon opened his briefcase.
He removed a copy of a letter of intent.
The document was from a regional affordable-housing investment group.
It proposed a purchase and rehabilitation structure valued at approximately $18.2 million, subject to due diligence and financing.
Marcus read it.
"Why wasn't this presented to the board?"
Simon looked ashamed.
"Evelyn said the proposal wasn't executable."
"Who decided that?"
"She did."
"When was it received?"
"Nine months ago."
Marcus stared at the date.
Nine months.
During those months, he had been told Cedar Row had no viable alternative.
He had been preparing to marry Alaina.
His son had been writing letters.
Naomi had been struggling to pay her mortgage.
And his company had quietly rejected a proposal that might have preserved affordable housing while producing a higher headline value.
Marcus set the letter down.
"Did Alaina know?"
Simon hesitated.
"She was aware the alternative proposal existed."
Marcus felt another wave of pain.
"Did she know why it was rejected?"
"I can't speak to what she understood."
Claire leaned forward.
"Simon, will you preserve and produce relevant documents through your counsel and cooperate with the investigation?"
Simon looked toward Michael.
His lawyer answered.
"We are discussing a preservation and disclosure process. We will not consent to destruction or concealment of records."
Marcus stood.
He looked at Simon for a long time.
Then he asked one final question.
"Did you ever think about Eli?"
Simon looked startled.
"What?"
"When you helped destroy Naomi's reputation. When you watched my marriage collapse. When you knew those letters were being hidden."
Simon had no answer.
Marcus nodded slowly.
"That's what I thought."
He turned toward the door.
Simon called after him.
"Marcus."
He stopped.
"I'm sorry."
Marcus looked back.
"You should tell Naomi that."
Then he left.
Outside, the rain had stopped.
He called Claire from beside his car.
She was only a few steps behind him, but he needed to hear himself say it.
"I want every lawful correction we can make to Naomi's record."
Claire nodded.
"We'll work on it."
"And the Cedar Row sale?"
"Still scheduled. Tessa's team is filing the emergency application."
Marcus looked toward the courthouse in the distance.
"Then we have to stop it."
At that moment, his phone rang.
Alaina.
He stared at her name.
Then answered.
"Marcus."
Her voice sounded strained.
"I have something you need to see."
He closed his eyes.
May you like
"What?"
"Proof of why your mother wanted us married before the transaction closed."
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